The College of Winter

The College of winter is one of the oldest bardic colleges in the world. Originating in The Freehold of Cordais shortly after Gregori Darset founded the first bardic university in Espada, the school was one of the first colleges created, and the first to be created outside of Espada, where Bardic Lore began. The college is currently found in Estoya, along with a close sibling and rival, The College of Summer. The two abandoned Cordais after an event called The Storm of Seasons, taking the Trans-Cordaisian Caravan to make the dangerous journey alongside House Gray. In the present it is considered a prestigious college and maintains a healthy membership with a steady flow of commissions. Ironically, its busiest time of the year is in the summer, when the hot and humid climate brings about the desire for changing leaves that lead to snow.

by ICEHOTEL

The House of Winter

The house of winter is a large complex that serves as the college's headquarters. Its members walk its halls pondering the philosophical aspects Winter and its relations. The complex resides in of Yithwitch. The entire building seems to be made of cobblestone and ice with a constant flurry of snow descending from clouds that cover the grounds.

The temperature change from outside of the college's grounds to the below freezing cold within can be enough to cause one's head to hurt. The college utilizes enchantments to maintain its fundamental structure and has wards that actually absorb heat.

Many who stray inside the boundaries too quickly have been winded as the heat is practically ripped from their body. What's this doesn't cause any concerns for Health it is definitely an uncomfortable experience.

The complex has three stories not including its basement level. At the Center most point of the complex lies a vault of living ice that contains the cultural treasures of the college. Some of them they brought with them after the Storm of Seasons, and others they made in Estoya as they rebuilt their organizations.

The Storm of Seasons

The Storm of Seasons is among the most tragic events in bardic history. The two colleges were pitted against each other by their Founders and financiers. They were two noble families who sought to cripple the other. They manipulated the bards of summer and winter, orchestrating simple slides and heinous crimes and blaming it on one of the two. Eventually the two families didn't have to try has the two went out each other's throats.

There are documents and eyewitness accounts that depict the districts the two colleges were located in as war zones. Bards lashed out at each other and any who stood in their way. Buildings were set ablaze and shattered in ice. In the end those colleges saw the destruction of not only their beloved play some learning but the vaults as well.

Powerful ancient artifacts, greats works by masters of their medium, and historical documents that depict information historians today would kill for, all vanished from the world in the span of a single night.

Joining the College of Winter

The college of winter accepts any and all who value the lessons of winter and its many themes. But have a set of rules for those seeking to submit a petition for membership.

Petitioners must be alumni of one of the four recognized bardic universities.
Petitioners must include a portfolio in their petition.
The portfolio must include at least two personal works relating to the themes of the college.
Petitioners must not be currently active members of the College of Summer.

by soyfreak

The Vault

The Vault of the College of winter holds many treasures. Great works that can be used to learn more spells, artifacts that can only be used by a bard of the college, and much more. I plan on including these various elements here once their articles have been made.

Syllabus

The syllabus of the College of winter is currently under construction as there are no spells made for it yet. Below is a series of ideas I have that may or may not make it.

Theme

As the name suggests, winter, cold, snow, and ice, are all part of the college's theme. The theme also includes death, ending, and indifference. Compositions valued by the college tend to tap into these elements one way shape or form.

A Thesis On Snow

Like most bardic colleges, The College of Winter is ran by a board appointed by the members of the college by majority vote. The board has no limit to how many can be appointed that, but usually you have no more than ten. These board members are the ones responsible for determining what arcane powers are available to those who join. The college will withhold spells from the syllabus, and the only way to obtain them is through keen research and study in the vault, along with training.

The College of Winter holds the philosophy that only the strong prevail. Winter is an equalizer to them, a method of sorting out the weak from the strong. This philosophy does not necessarily need to be followed by the bards who join, but it must be known and memorized. Many of the Spells come from this ideology and may not work without putting yourself in this mindset.

Routines

Routine: Cold Heart

Cold heart is a bardic routine that it's meant to evoke the sheer indifference of the world. The Bard will recite a line, play a verse, make a stroke of the brush, but do so with equal indifference. Whatever artistic work they use, it must be one that brings such little emotional reaction in the bard that the bard manifests that lack of caring into a burst of sharpened ice.

Routine: The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen is an ancient human fairy tale. The snow queen is meant to embody everything that is winter. The Entity is supposedly an avatar of Lady winter, a prominent mythological figure in the Ozolithian mythos. This routine Taps into the connection all bards of winter have with the entity. They beseech The Entity to offer them aid which comes in the form of a summoned elemental creature made of ice.

Compositions

Composition: Frost

There are two primary themes of the college. Winter comes first and foremost and with winter comes frost, snow, cold, and solid ice. This composition is solemn but not necessarily melancholy, just as much joy can be found in winter, but caution is a good policy. When one seeks to use this spell, they're able to utilize this theme in a number of ways depending on their medium.

Composition: End

The side of a winter most fail to recognize until they think about it is the nature of ending. With winter comes death, sorrow, and hardship. Bar Taps into these themes and what emerges is a work of art that evokes the purest of sadness in the minds of those who experience it.